


Delivered From The Perils of The Dark

by GrannyBoo



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Canon Divergence, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, M/M, Minor Character Death, Slow Burn, Tarsus IV, threats of suicide
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-22
Updated: 2018-08-29
Packaged: 2019-07-01 01:59:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15764286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GrannyBoo/pseuds/GrannyBoo
Summary: “You may have been correct in your earlier line of inquiry, Doctor J’un. There may indeed be survivors.”-or-Tarsus IV has been under strict quarantine for nearly a decade, after the fungus that led them to famine and the massacre of half the population under Governor Kodos, mutated, poisoning the air and, as far as Starfleet were able to discern, killing the remaining population. After the failure of the defensive line of satellite interference, the crew of the Enterprise are given permission to study the planet, they discover the survivors of the Tarsus IV massacre may not have perished after all.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you all enjoy my foray into the Star Trek fandom, this is gonna be a long one but hopefully it goes well. Feel free to check out my art, some of it star trek related, at Oakyboo on tumblr or just message me for requests or questions. 
> 
> <3

**_ Chapter One _ **

_‘-spite numerous attempts at contact, the colonists of Tarsus IV remain unresponsive to all forms of communication; whether this is due to interference or intentional silence is unknown, but the former seems far more likely-‘_

_‘-eport that the satellites positioned around the planet appear to have been reconfigured to provide offensive capabilities under the orders of Governor Kodos immediately prior to the mass genocide of 50% of the populati-‘_

_‘-sus IV stands under a planet wide quarantine after the USS Exeter suffered shipwide fatalities due to exposure to an aggressive strain of fungus that rendered the entire planet’s agricultural resources useless. No cure has been manufactured as of yet-‘_

_‘-without access to samples of the original fungus from the planet’s surface, there is little we can do at this time. The orbiting satellites destroying every craft that attempts to enter the planet’s atmosphere-‘_

_‘So what_ can _be done for the remaining colonists? Any form of relief aid or rescue?’_

 _‘Unfortunately, with the interference from the defensive satellites, we are unable to determine if there even_ are _any survivors. We at Starfleet provide our deepest condolences to those affected but the damages and potential loss of life mean we cannot send rescue parties until the satellites can be disabled-’_

-                                                                                   -:-                                                                           -

_-Stardate 2255.42 (9 years later)-_

The planet was more vibrant than the images Spock had seen of it in previous studies. What had once been a barren grey-brown wasteland had sprouted visible sites of oranges, reds, and greens all over the continents, and all tinted a sickly yellow-green emanating from the clusters of vegetation, the only non-toxic areas over the massive bodies of water but even those were shrouded in dark and vicious looking cloud cover with the occasional flash of light in what may be a perpetual storm.

As the _Enterprise_ orbited the planet, he couldn’t help noting the numerous satellites surrounding it, feeling appropriately wary after learning of their defensive and offensive capabilities. He had reviewed the wreckage of ships that attempted to make it to the planet to attempt rescues. They had reason to be cautious.

“Attention.”

Pike’s voice cut through the din of the meeting room and the officers fell silent. He stood tall and commanding at his place at the table, swiping a hand over the glass panels before him to bring forward images of the planet, as well as data-sheets on its history and status, the glaring red ‘RESTRICTED _’_ and ‘QUARANTINED’, plastered over the screens.

“I’ve received word from Starfleet. We have been granted permission to enter the quarantine zone with strict instructions to follow all biological hazard protocols and minimise crew presence on the planet. We are tasked with assessing the state of Tarsus IV. Spock, what are your findings on the satellites?”

Spock rose from his chair, bringing forward his own data-screens with disassembled blueprints of the satellites.

“It appears one of the satellites currently in orbit of the planet have ceased functioning. There is evidence it had been damaged by space debris, likely a meteorite. While in the past, the planet has remained incapable of being scanned for lifeforms both due to the inability to approach without activating the satellite’s defensive protocols and the barrier of interference, the areas of the surface directly beneath this satellite’s path are registering lifeforms and hostile atmospheric conditions.”

“Hostile in what way?”

“It appears the plant-life and what lifeforms do register on our sensors on the planet have been mutated from their original states. The flora, in particular, seem to expel a poisonous spore-like substance into the air making it fatal to those who are exposed. Without life-support systems and strict anti-contamination protocol, the likelihood of survival is little more than impossible.”

Pike tented his fingers, narrowed eyes on the statistics they’d managed to acquire from the planet so far.

“You’ve listed the malfunctioning satellite as ‘inactive’. This refers to its weapons systems as well as the interference?”

“Indeed, Captain. By my calculations, a vessel of similar size and nature as our shuttles would be well within its means of entering the atmosphere in this section no longer protected by the satellite.”

Captain Pike scanned over the information in front of him, fingers dancing over the touchscreens to bring forward four crewman’s information and sending them to Spock’s PADD, before activating the ship-wide intercom.

“Attention crew. As you know we are currently orbiting Tarsus IV. We have been given permission from Starfleet to conduct research on the planet’s surface. Lieutenants Sampson, and Hicks, and Doctors Nóvak and J’un, please report to Commander Spock in the shuttle bay for your mission briefing and transport,” the announcement ended and Pike met Spock’s gaze.

“I’m assigning you to lead the away team. This is strictly research and reconnaissance. If the conditions are anything less than safe, you are to return to the _Enterprise_ and we will proceed accordingly. Any questions?”

“None, captain. The opportunity to study the surface is appreciated.”

“You’re welcome. Dismissed, Commander.”

As Spock exited the briefing room, he felt the eyes of some of the other officers on him, expressions of concern or worry. They’d likely heard of the fate of previous attempts at approaching the planet’s surface. The death of an entire planet and nearly every member of the _Exeter_.

There could be no error in this mission.

-

“-Note that any deviation from protocol will not only certainly result in your removal from Starfleet, it will likely result in your death. Remain in your suits at all times, and keep the _Enterprise_ aware of your movements. Dismissed.”

Hicks and Nóvak were visibly nervous, Hick’s hands repeatedly fidgeting with the sensor on the chest piece of his suit as if ensuring it was, indeed, still there. Thankfully Doctor J’un was familiar with the circumstances they were in, as well as more experienced than her fellow team members. A steady hand and level head to balance out the anxious energy with Spock.

“Do you think there’s any survivors?” J’un posed, adjusting her tricorder on her shoulder as they entered the shuttle ahead of the others.

“Unlikely. While the mass genocide that occurred was limited to 50% of the population, the likelihood of colonists being capable of supporting themselves and avoiding the noxious atmosphere borders on infinitesimal. We are likely going to find no more than mutated flora and fauna though those are not without scientific merit,” Spock replied, taking his place in the pilot’s chair while J’un joined the others in the back. Sampson dropped into the co-pilot’s seat, flicking switches and checking their course coordinates while the seatbelt secured itself over his chest.

The lieutenant seemed almost excited for the trip to the surface. But his previous record showed that this enthusiasm would not lead to reckless behaviour, a commendable attribute Spock mused upon as they ascended and left the shuttle bay, bearing towards the planet through the single opening in the barricade of active satellites. Spock paid no mind to the menacing glow of the active satellites, certain of the trajectory he had set and, sure enough, they passed by the barricade with no issue.

The descent into the noxious atmosphere remained uneventful, the crewmembers in the back of the shuttle murmuring amongst themselves until they completed their landing, the sharp jerk as the open field they settled in shifted minutely giving Hicks and Nóvak pause.

“Set phasers to stun. Lieutenant Sampson and Doctor J'un, remain in close proximity to the shuttle while you collect samples, Doctor Nóvak and Lieutenant Hicks, you will accompany me to the forested area in view, we will explore the area and report our findings to Captain Pike,” the orders seemed to simultaneously unsettle and excite the away team as they did as requested, J’un practically launching herself out of the door to attend to a small body of water nearby where there appeared to be creatures inhabiting it.

The journey towards the towering trees of the forest was fascinating. Most, if not all of the creatures on Tarsus IV displayed signs of mutation, their forms an amalgamation of their previous states and that of common fungus. A flash of movement caught Spock’s attention as a tall, almost delicate looking deer-like creature moved amongst the plant life, gaze fixing on the party before it continued its ambling journey through the trees.

“This is amazing,” Nóvak breathed, his voice coming through the comms muffled but no less awed at the bright array of colours surrounding them.

“Indeed it is. A fascinating collection of potential mutagenic studies and specimens,” his agreement seemed to catch Nóvak off guard. Though it was a more enthusiastic attitude than Spock normally displayed around the crew, he could not help the intense activity in his head, the growing list of tests to run and creatures he can see around them.

“Ow!”

The startled shout had Spock turning immediately around, where Hicks was clutching his foot and jumping up and down in an absurd display that Spock had seem before, commonly associated with stubbing one’s toe and attempting to distract themselves.

“Lieutenant, are you injured?”

“I’m alright, just kicked something. Wasn’t dirt. Felt like metal,” he explained, kneeling down in the grass and brushed it aside to reveal the exposed metal base of a sign that read ‘ _Mandatory Curfew’_ in distressed lettering, following by a series of times and dates. Orders signed by Governor Kodos. Hicks stood once more and kicked the sign in a display of misdirected hostility before rejoining Spock and Nóvak.

“ _I’m finding equal degrees of mutation in the aquatic life as I am everything else. The water here is definitely heavily contaminated,”_ J’un reported, the rest of the crew weighing in with their assessments and observations. As they approached the edge of the forest, Spock noticed an increase in metallic debris and distinctly geometric shapes within the tree line. A closer inspection revealed the crumbling, skeletal remains of buildings; scaffolding and reinforcements blending with the vertical growth of the forest. Most were little more than rubble but based on the proximity, it seems this forest had been a fairly populated area.

Once.

“Holy _shit.”_

Nóvak’s disbelief filtered through the comms and it took a moment to find the doctor, turned to face deeper into the forest. There was a shape there, leaning against the trunk of a tree. Bipedal, approximately four feet tall, what seemed to be an arm braced against the thick bark of the tree.

“I- Commander, tell me I’m not going crazy. That’s-“

“It’s a kid. That’s a kid,” Hicks called, heading towards the figure. “Hey! Hey, its okay, we’re not gonna hurt you!” Sure enough, it seemed to be a humanoid, watching them if the direction the heavy duty gas mask they had secured to their face was any indication. The clothing seemed a few sizes too big, secured with belts and tucked into their gloves and shoes. As soon as Hicks made his approach, the figure stumbled backwards and bolted, vanishing through the tree line.

“ _Commander, please confirm. Did you really see a kid?”_ J’un asked hurriedly through the comm system.

“It appears we have. You may have been correct in your earlier line of inquiry, Doctor J’un. There may indeed be survivors.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for such glowing comments everyone! I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far. I apologise if the science is a little on the fudgy side, I'm just kinda rolling through, trying to get to the interaction stages but I hope it doesn't deter you all! Feel free to leave a comment below or if you want to see the Coming Soon art for the fic on my tumblr, Oakyboo.
> 
> <33

**_ Chapter Two _ **

“ _Are you sure that’s what you saw?”_

Pike’s voice was a little garbled from the remaining satellites’ interference but still clear enough to hear the uncertainty in his tone.

“The likelihood of Lieutenant Hicks, Doctor Nóvak and myself sharing a hallucination of something as specific as a humanoid child dressed in makeshift hazmat protective equipment far outweighs the likelihood of an individual being capable of surviving the hostile conditions of the planet. In saying this, they are both incredibly unlikely, bordering on impossible,” Spock replied, eyeing the edge of the forest while the others sent up their samples and data to the _Enterprise_. It had been a few hours since the initial team had landed, but beyond the few creatures wandering to the edge of the forest, there had been no movement within the tree line.

But a lack of movement didn’t lessen the uncomfortable sensation of being watched the settled in the back of Spock’s mind.

“ _Alright. I’m sending down a secondary landing party to rotate with you all, prepare for decontamination procedures once you’re on board.”_

 _“_ Captain. If it is all the same to you, I would rather remain on the surface,” Spock filed the sensation away for the moment, focusing on the landing party who watched him with varying expressions of bemusement and delight at him showing what could only be described as an enthusiastic desire. J’un, who had been in contact with Spock the longest was particularly cheerful, hiding her smile behind her PADD.

 _“Fair enough, Commander. I’ll leave this to you. Let me know if there’s any developments. Pike, out,”_ the line went quiet and Spock returned his focus to the area beyond their camp. The crew collected the samples, coordinating with the transporter crew.

The next landing party arrived, unnerved and awed in equal measure as Spock explained the situation so far along with group assignments. The walk to the forest edge was full of tension, the one member of security and the one science team officer’s attention darting towards every flash of movement, mostly startling themselves with the sight of the spindle legged deer or what appeared to be a rabbit, comprised of ink-cap mushrooms. It approached Doctor Hills with a few twitching movements, darting away into the brush after he touched its ear.

“These are…they definitely originate from Earth. There’s traces of known animal DNA in the samples from them but…how are they…“

“What turned them into mushrooms?” Faust asked, nudging a plant with his foot, jumping back when it began to furl in on itself.

“Testing may be able to tell us,” Spock reminds, glancing up from the tricorder in his hands. “I have some theories. Elements of this planet’s soil or plant life may have combined with the original fungal epidemic, infecting creatures that have consumed it,” he proposed.

“So, what, the kid you saw could be like the animals? Half person, half mushroom?” Faust’s voice was a combination of disconcerted and intrigued. Understandable considering the circumstances.

“Potentially. It could also be that these species have always existed here and remained undocumented by the original colonists. Unlikely but still possible. Regardless, testing should be completed as quickly as possible. When you have finished collecting data and samples, please escort Doctor Hills to the camp. I will follow momentarily,” Spock assured, seeing the hesitation from the security officer.

“Are you sure, sir?”

“I am. No creatures have shown predatory behaviours and my readings will be done momentarily. Do not worry,” he added stiffly, but the gesture was appreciated as Faust returned it with an awkward smile, moving through the brush with Doctor Hills following after him, chattering excitedly about the rabbit-facsimile approaching him.

Silence followed after, the tricorder’s muted beeps and clicks as it read through the composition of the tree he was examining made the remaining quiet of the forest all the more noticeable. Until he heard a snap.

“Lieutenant Faust-“

He had no time to finish his statement when a mass crashed into him, knocking him to the ground and forcing the breath out of his lungs, the tricorder smashing to the ground and giving one weak flicker of its screen before it went dark. He narrowly avoided the blade that slashed at his throat, cutting into the roots of the tree as he rolled out of the way, staggering to his feet and facing his assailant.

Definitively larger than the humanoid they’d seen earlier. Approximately six feet tall, broad shoulders, posture hunched forward like an animal awaiting an opening before it struck. The gas mask secured to their face obscured their features and the bulky clothing did the same for most of their skin so Spock could neither confirm nor deny Faust’s proposal that the survivors were ‘mushroom people’.

“Please cease. I mean you no harm,” Spock assured, but the statement was met with an incredulous huff, the gloved hand tightening on the blade it their hand as they launched themselves at Spock once more, slashing at his suit, catching on a strap and tearing. A moment of panic escaped restraint but calmed once more when Spock realised it was nothing more than the strap of his tricorder, now lying uselessly on the ground.

He had barely any time to collect himself when the figure bolted, heading further into the forest. Spock gave chase.

“Commander Spock to base camp, I am currently in pursuit of a single humanoid, hostile in nature, currently heading north east. Track my communicator signal and send support,” Spock called into the comms, hearing a din of voices in reply but choosing to focus all of his attention on calculating the fastest route to cut off the humanoid. As they burst into a clearing, the loud calls of startled deer rang through the area, the creatures bolting through the brush. The chaotic mass of panic seemed to make the humanoid hesitate; just long enough for Spock to latch onto their shoulder, forcing them to the ground.

“Fuck!”

The voice was almost certainly masculine, a deep muffled snarl beneath the mask as they scrambled underneath Spock’s grip, lashing out however they could to force him to release them.

“I repeat,” Spock huffs, waiting for the escape attempts to cease but seeing no signs of stopping. “I mean you no harm. I just wish to ask some questions-“

“Tell Kodos that he should do the universe a favour: take a step outside and take a deep fucking breath. I’ll do the same before I answer anything you have to fucking ask,” the stranger bit out, taking his blade and reaching for the throat coverings of his suit, preparing to cut through the fabric. To expose themselves to the air-

“No!”

Spock ripped the arm away, knocking the blade out of their grasp as he scrambled to secure the humanoid’s wayward limbs but he’d released the man’s right arm in the chaos of removing the knife from his grip, receiving an elbow to the nose in response.

One moment, the humanoid is restrained, then they’ve slipped out of his grasp, darting forward to grab the knife and turn back to defend themselves. But Spock remained on the ground, hands raised placatingly. They remained still, the retreating calls of the deer disappearing and leaving them with only the stranger’s huffing breaths to fill the silence.

“There has been a misunderstanding. I am not in league with Kodos-“

“Do you think I’m stupid? You’re covered in Starfleet tags like the rest of his people,” the stranger barked, keeping his blade pointed towards Spock. “I bet he called for backup, wanted to finish his fucking planetary cleanse but couldn’t get the balls to do it himself.”

“That is not the case. Kodos is a war criminal and is being pursued as such.”

“Oh yeah? Pull the other one.” Spock’s face twisted into bemusement.

“Pull the other what? I am speaking, and explaining facts to you,” he was met with a head tilt and shake, the man’s arm lowering for a moment in what was most definitely confusion before darting back into its defensive position.

“Stay. Away. I won’t tell you again,” the stranger backed away a few steps, ducking around a tree before he vanished, leaving Spock alone in the clearing.

-

“He thinks Starfleet is helping Kodos?”

After returning to the base camp, Captain Pike had ordered all away team crew members to remain there and observe the surrounding area, and for Spock to return to the ship for a debriefing. The captain seemed tense, clenching his jaw and his hands as he and Spock discussed the events of the day in the ready room.

“It appears so.”

“Can’t blame him. If he was on the planet when the quarantine was first placed…”

“It stands to reason that Kodos had been utilising Starfleet equipment and locations during his massacre of the colonists so any individuals that were deemed unsuitable to his cause would have been hunted by those bearing the Starfleet insignia. It is a…troubling situation,” he thinks back on the actions of the survivor, the almost immediate response to being trapped being to bite the proverbial cyanide cap.

“Can’t tell him otherwise. What reason would he have to believe us?” the captain seems to contemplate the new information, standing from his seat and straightening his uniform. “For the time being, we’ll restrict all activity to outside of the forest in case there’s more survivors with a grudge against Starfleet. I assume you want to head back down with the away team?”

“Your assumption is correct. Do I have permission to establish contact if they approach?”

“I’ll allow it. Non-lethal force only, if they make an attempt on the crew,” Pike acquiesces, dismissing Spock with a nod, knowing that the restriction was unnecessary. During his walk back to the shuttlebay, Spock thought on the survivor, the almost vicious way he moved and spoke. His readiness to end his own life before succumbing to questioning from, who he perceived as, a member of former Governor Kodos’ militia. The man likely had little to no contact with anyone beside those he saw as threats.

Spock’s musings were cut short when he received an alert from Lieutenant Faust, still stationed on the planet. An image file.

His tricorder, damaged and left during the initial assault, stuck into a tree with a metal pole. A warning to steer clear.

One Spock did not desire to heed.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm crying, bless you all for your lovely words. If you have any questions about the world or the story in general, or just wanna hmu on tumblr, you can find me on Agentoaky or my art blog Oakyboo where I should be posting some art for this fic soon. :D

**_ Chapter Three _ **

Four days passed since the attack on Spock by the survivor; four different away team rotations and constant patrols around the base camp that spread themselves around the area, further and further from the initial landing site, with the exception of the forest.

The crew were understandably concerned over the attempted murder of their first officer and were more than happy to obey the order to remain outside the boundaries of the dense forest and to avoid its inhabitants after Lieutenant Sampson reported hearing a deep rumble and the screeching calls of dell in distress within during the night.

During those four days, Spock went the closest. While he did not venture within the tree line, he still patrolled the open area just outside, observing the animals and taking readings, waiting for the survivor to return. He didn’t. But roughly after noon, a figure approached the edge of the forest, keeping within the shade the canopy provided as they cautiously made their way into Spock’s line of sight. The security officer originally set to patrol with him had returned to base camp, on Spock’s orders. The chance of contact being initiated was much higher if Spock was on his own.

A risk, but a calculated one.

The figure was not the same he’d encountered in the attack. This individual resembled the child-like humanoid he and the original away team had observed, however briefly.

“Are you gonna kill me?”

The voice was disturbingly frank for a child who couldn’t be older than ten, stumbling over to take a seat on a raised tree root, their masked face directed towards Spock. The mask appeared to be an old model Starfleet had provided settlers as a part of their emergency supplies, the insignia scratched off by a blade. The rest of the cobbled together hazmat suit looked misshapen on the child, as though intended for someone larger than them; straps tightened to the shortest they could possibly go and lumps beneath the gauntlets of their gloves and highest sections of the boots where the excess material had been tucked in.

“No. Do you believe I will?”

The child seemed to think on this a moment, kicking the back of their booted heel against the roots at their feet, regarding Spock with an exaggerated imitation of investigating him from afar.

“Nah. You coulda followed me and taken me. But you didn’t. And you coulda killed Jimmy too. But you didn’t do that either,” the child rambled, peering around Spock at the movement at the camp, not bothered by their proximity just yet.

“Jimmy?”

“He tried to kill you. He’s real protective. He thinks you wanna find our house and kill us all. You don’t seem like you wanna kill anyone. You’re just pickin’ flowers,” they noted, nodding towards the brightly coloured plants he’d place in containment units earlier.

“I am collecting samples.”

“Whatever you call it, you don’t look mean,” they seemed certain of this fact, fiddling with a twisted strap on their pants. “You told Jimmy you wanted to ask him questions. What were you gonna ask him?”

“I was going to enquire as to how you all survived so long without aid,” Spock looked over his replacement tricorder, taking readings of the child. Entirely human as far as the device could discern. No trace of infection, mutation or even illness.

“We live in a-…where we live has life support. We can breathe without masks in there. I like to come outside though. To look at the dell and the shroomies,” they explained.

“What are they?”

The child looked around, pointing towards the spindly legged deer-like animals.

“We call them the dell, and the shroomies are the little ones. Jimmy says they look like bunnies from earth. I’ve never been,” they shrugged non-chalantly at the admission that they’d spent their entire life on this planet and the small piece of Spock’s mind that lingered over his mother’s emotional reactions to the world entertained a feeling of sympathy or sadness at this.

“What’s your name?”

“Alesia. But everyone calls me Leesy.” Spock kept up the façade of reading over his display, trying to keep himself between Alesia and the camp. If he was seen communicating with the child, they may attempt to approach and frighten her away. And if he attempted to warn them away beforehand, it may result in the same. The recording he was taking with his tricorder would suffice as a witness to the conversation.

“What’s yours?”

“I am First Officer Spock.”

“What does a first officer do?” she asked, leaning forward on the root, kicking their feet a little harder. “’Sides picking flowers.”

“I am second in charge of the starship, the _USS Enterprise_ ,” he was unsure how much she would understand of his tasks, both being a child and being so far removed from a civilisation where Starfleet was so integrated into society.

“That sounds like my mom. She’s in charge when Jimmy’s away but even when he’s there, she still does a bunch of work with him.”

“So ‘Jimmy’ is the leader of your…house? How many of you reside there-“

Alesia cocks her head to the side, holding a hand over her ear before leaping to her feet.

“Mom’s looking for me. Gotta go. Bye Mister Spock!”

Her form vanished into the trees as Spock activated his comm to inform Pike of what had just occurred.

-

It was another day before Alesia returned. Spock was further away, accompanied by a security officer who raised his phaser, taking aim at the child. Alesia froze, hand clutching the tree she was using as a support.

“Stand down, Lieutenant. Alesia. Please, you will not be harmed,” Spock assured. Alesia hesitated, watching the security officer’s movements carefully as Spock dismissed him.

“I will be fine. Please continue your patrol, I will handle this.”

The lieutenant vacated the area after a brief moment of hesitation, leaving Spock and Alesia be.

“That was rude,” she says curtly. “Who points a gun at someone they haven’t met?” the air of indignation in her tone lessened by the obvious shaking in her hands that decreased with every deep breath she took.

“If you’ll recall, your leader, Jimmy, behaved in a similar fashion when I first encountered him.”

“Yeah, didn’t say Jimmy wasn’t rude,” she pointed out, digging around in her pockets for something. She pulled out what appeared to be a cobbled together communications device and threw it towards Spock, holding a second, nearly identical one in her own hand. “For us to talk. I can’t be here every day or mom’ll get suspicious. And I wanna ask you some stuff.”

Spock quirked an eyebrow as he examined the comm unit. While appearing clunky and scraped together with random parts, it seemed perfectly functional.

“What ‘stuff’ would you like to ask?”

“…What’s it like being in space?”

The pair talked for close to fifteen minutes about the _Enterprise_ and space in general, Spock answering rapid fire questions about what no gravity feels like, what do the crew eat, does space _smell_ , before Alesia was called away with the same cock of her head and a hasty goodbye.

“I’ll comm you if I can talk. Bye Mister Spock!”

She disappeared once more, startling a number of dell as she went. The herds’ frantic movement distracted Spock enough that he was almost startled by the voice behind him.

“Commander. How did it go?”

Doctor J’un approached, stumbling over a loose rock as she went but righting herself quickly.

“It went well. She has provided means to contact her outside of her visits,” Spock held the comms device up, making his way back to the camp as the security officer adjusted his patrol to include that section of the forest edge.

“That’s good. I just spoke to the Captain. He wants you to come back for a bit. Just to rest properly,” she instructed. Spock hesitated, glancing at the comm unit in his hand. “I know it won’t work properly outside the satellite barrier. But if she calls I’ll let her know you’re coming back,” she reassures him, and the irrational niggling of uncertainty lessens.

“I will return in nine hours.”

-

_Chirrrup-chirp_

The haze of his morning meditation was fading as he heard the trilling sound of his PADD alert, a message from Doctor J’un with a small holovid attached.

‘ _Alesia asked after you and when she learned you were aboard, assumed you were sick. So, she left you a little get better present. She was happy to learn you were fine but wanted you to keep it anyway._

_-Doctor Bria J’un’_

The recording was of a hastily-carved wooden bowl containing soil and a plant; velvet textured petals in an array of bright and shifting colours like the swirls of an oil film on water. The plant seemed to change colours depending on sounds projected at it, a flash of yellow at Lieutenant Hopkins’ finger-snap, a fluctuation of colours and shades when Doctor J’un sung a short excerpt of some popular earthen song.

There was the intense desire to study this plant, to learn the correlation between the change in colour and the sounds required to make them but beneath that was a gentle warmth at the gift from Alesia, who despite having only known him for so short a time enjoyed their conversations enough to attempt to ‘cheer him up’.

Spock felt the corner of his lip twitch into a smile before he straightened up and prepared for his briefing with Pike and the trip back to the surface.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Alesia so damn much. My precious cinnamon roll doesn't deserve to be on Tarsus. Once again, feel free to leave a comment, or hmu on tumblr on my fandom blog Agentoaky, or my art blog Oakyboo.

**_ Chapter Four _ **

“ _Did you like the flower?”_

Alesia’s tinny voice came through the comm unit almost immediately after Spock had returned to the planet’s surface, startling the majority of the crewmembers in the shuttle as they stepped outside. Spock shared a look with Doctor J’un as she packed her own equipment and ventured into her away team’s shuttle, giving him a short wave on her way.

“I assume from the timing of your communication, that you are either currently observing the campsite or your residence has equipment capable of registering the entry of our shuttle to the atmosphere and you had assumed I was on that shuttle. Are either of my assumptions correct?” Spock asked, hearing quiet static for a moment before Alesia’s reply came through.

“ _I’m at home. We have computers that go off when you guys come down or go up. I was gonna come and visit but Jimmy’s going patrolling again, so you guys shouldn’t get too close to the forest. He might get all stabby again,”_ Alesia’s recommendation roused a quiet wave of murmurs through the crew, looking to Spock for verification.

“Remain clear, ensure officers on patrol are not alone and report movement to me,” he ordered, sending out a quick written update in surface protocol to all potential away teams as well as Captain Pike before returning to the small station containing their exposed control samples and their contained, oxygen exposed samples, observing the change in colouration and general appearance when the voice returned.

“ _Sooo did you like the flower? Its cool, right?”_

“I am assuming from the context of your statement, you are referring to the flower as being interesting as opposed to of a below ambient temperature. In which case, yes, I do find the flower fascinating.”

“ _Cool. I thought you guys might like it. We keep a bunch of ‘em around the bunker to let us know if the Shrieks are around- they’re, like, these big things that fly and make these really loud screechy sounds,”_ her explanation of the creatures shifted into an anecdote about her mother being picked up by one that had apparently been of similar size to a hovercar before it had been eliminated by the mother and Jimmy, dropping her to the ground and breaking her leg.

“ _She walked all the way home and had to stay in bed for a whole week. Boy, was she mad.”_

“Your mother sounds like a very strong-willed woman. It is a commendable attribute in such a harsh environment.”

 _“She’d like that. ‘Strong-willed’. Jimmy calls her stubborn but he’s like that too. And I think he’d be sad if he didn’t have someone to argue with like mom. I think he’d like you too. If he could stop trying to stab you, I mean,”_ she amended. There was a clatter and what sounded like fabric brushing over the communicator microphone before a second voice came through; muffled, masculine and familiar.

_“Hey kiddo. Your mom wanted me to talk to you. Says you’ve been hiding around a lot lately. Everything okay?”_

“ _Yeah? Nothin’s wrong. Just been wandering around. Listening to library tapes.”_ There was a brief pause and a metallic squeak, like an old door hinge shifting back and forth before the voice came through again.

“ _Alright. If there’s anything wrong, you know you can talk to me, yeah? I know its hard staying inside but we gotta be careful.”_

_“I don’t see why we gotta hide. You said the guy didn’t hurt you and they haven’t been just blowing stuff up like Kodos’ guys did-“_

_“Leesy-”_

“ _They could be nice, they came from space, they might want to help us-“_

_“Alesia.”_

The way the voice barked her name made Alesia go quiet. There was an audible sigh and footsteps as Spock assumed the speaker moved closer.

“ _I’m sorry. I shouldn’t’ve snapped. But we can’t take any risks when it comes to_ them _. I know your mom and I don’t show it, but what happened with…Kodos’ men_ -“ the name was almost a struggle to say, even Spock, still learning to discern between the subtle shifts in tone between emotions could almost feel the pain and hatred behind the word, _“It was awful. I don’t want anyone here to go through that again or at all.”_

There was a frustrated sigh from Alesia.

 _“How do you_ know _they’re with him. You didn’t even talk to them.”_

_“They’re with Starfleet. So was he. Even if they’re not with him directly, they still let a man capable of…Let’s just say I don’t really care for Starfleet. I’m asking you. Please just keep inside until its all clear. Okay, kiddo?”_

“... _Okay,”_ her reply was small and there was rustling of fabric and a series of gentle pats, before she spoke again. “ _Are you going out?”_

“ _Yeah. Ollie thinks they saw a Rattler burrow nearby. We’re gonna go take care of it. Do me a favour, go check in with your mom. She’s been kinda worried you’re getting down. Just to let her know you’re okay, yeah?”_

“ _Okay. Come back safe, Jimmy,”_ Alesia’s request got a huff, which Spock could almost imagine as being accompanied by a smile.

“ _Always, kiddo. See ya later.”_

There were footsteps and the squeak and click of a closing door before Alesia let out a sigh and the rustle of fabric being removed from the mic cleared the sound.

“ _…Crap. Were you listening?”_

“I would be lying if I said I hadn’t been,” Spock admitted. “I apologise for the intrusion-“

“ _No, no. Its okay. I’m sorry Jimmy said all that stuff about you guys._ I _know you’re nice but he’s…”_

Spock thought on the interaction for a moment, collecting his new impressions of this Jimmy character and trying to resolve them with the aggressive and violent individual he’d encountered.

“Your apology is appreciated but unnecessary. His anger and concerns are not without merit as he has suffered through a great tragedy at the hands of someone that had been affiliated with Starfleet. And it is does make sense for him to carry feelings of resentment for the organisation, as a whole, as the reason for the state of Tarsus IV,” Spock would need to meditate on these facts further the next time he returned to the ship. “Would a distraction be appropriate to assuage any feelings of embarrassment or awkwardness due to my audience during your interaction with him?”

“ _...Do you mean would it make me feel better?”_

“That is what I said.”

“ _No, you used a bunch of word salad-…Yeah. It would,”_ Alesia snickered.

“Jimmy mentioned a ‘rattler’. Is this another creature your fellow residents have named?”

Alesia went over a number of the creatures that inhabited the planet, most of which were results of the mutated fungus. Their doctor, ‘Vinnie’ as she called him, had apparently determined the cause of these to be due to an effect the original fungus had on still living tissue, assimilating with the creature and altering its physiology permanently. A number of creatures native to the planet had been affected as well as creatures brought with the colonists.

Rattlers were one of the native creatures, originally named something else but the new amalgamation was given its name due to the apparently unsettling rattling sound it made when it attacked. Alesia described it to be ‘like three of me long with this huge stinger’. Spock would need to find evidence to corroborate this claim.

“And your Jimmy intends on approaching this creature’s burrow? I would hope he would bring something more effective than the knife he was carrying for protection.”

“ _He uses this thingy he made. It makes this really high sound that we can’t hear but he says rattlers can hear it and they really don’t like it.”_

“The information is appreciated. I can prepare my crew in case they ever encounter this creature…your assistance has been invaluable, Alesia, in maintaining the safety of my companions. I extend my thanks,” Spock adds, hearing silence from the other end.

“ _…I_ told _Jimmy you were nice. Well, I gotta go. I’m gonna go talk to my mom and tell her fine. She’s not gonna believe me, but its worth a shot,”_ she bids Spock goodbye and the click of the communicator shutting off leaves Spock in relative silence.

-

Later in the evening, long after his conversation with Alesia, Spock found himself drawn towards the forest, almost unsettled by the distant shrill ringing in his ears that lasted for approximately 3.7 seconds before it stopped.

Spock waited.

And waited.

Ten minutes later, Alesia’s voice rang through the communication unit, the usually tinny sound wavering and congested, likely from tears.

“ _Mr Spock?”_

“Yes, Alesia?”

There were no words for a brief time, only sniffles and the rustling of fabric before her voice came through, muffled as though she had her face pressed against something.

“ _Can you fix the air?”_

“…I cannot. Not at this time. Has something happened?” Spock’s voice was gentle, hoping to convey the consoling tone his mother adopted in his youth when she thought he’d been upset by the other children.

_“…Jimmy’s suit got ripped while he was outside. Vinnie says he’s okay, he didn’t breathe anything but…I don’t wanna be here anymore. I don’t want us to live here anymore. Can you….Can we go with you?”_

Spock stared at the comm unit, listening to the sniffling of this little girl who nearly lost one of the few people she cared for on this hostile mass of poison and bloodshed. Who was forced to live there because of Starfleet’s failures.

“Alesia. I will do my best to help you and your people leave this planet with us.”

“ _Promise?”_

 _“_ …I promise.”


	5. Chapter 5

**_ Chapter Five _ **

Spock’s discussions with the captain about his decision to assist the residents of Tarsus IV seemed to be met with wholeheartedly approval.

“Seems like you’ve built a hell of a rapport with this kid,” Pike mused, pouring himself a glass of whiskey, holding the bottle out in offering, which Spock declined. He always did but it didn’t stop Pike from offering as a courtesy.

“She has shown a great desire to leave Tarsus. And a willingness to trust members of Starfleet where her caretakers do not.”

“Can’t imagine why all of them wouldn’t jump at the chance to leave. But I get why this Jimmy guy isn’t exactly fond of us either…Did she mention how old he is?” Pike’s voice took on a contemplative quality that Spock found intriguing.

“She did not. I estimate from his physical stature and vague accounts of what seem to be a fairly clear recollection of Kodos the Executioner’s actions against the colonists of Tarsus IV, that he is between 20 and 30 years old. May I ask why?”

“…Not a lot of people know exactly what happened on Tarsus IV. Even less have access to the full data logs of the colonists sent there. Call me sentimental or emotionally driven, whatever you call it. But I made it a point to go through and read those names. One name, in particular, stuck out to me,” Pike’s words were almost casual, but his jaw was tight and his thumb worried at an imperfection in the shape of his glass.

“Which name would that be?”

“James Tiberius Kirk.”

The name sparked a hint of recognition in Spock from the records of previous ships within the ‘Fleet.

“As in the son of George Kirk, acting captain of the _USS Kelvin_ before…”

“Before it was attacked, and his final act was to kamikaze it into the Romulan ship and destroy them before they continued on their path of destruction? One and the same,” Pike sipped at his drink, tilting his head back against his chair as he continued on, “He was 13 years old when he was sent to Tarsus IV. An incident involving a classic car, some reckless driving and a cliff, apparently. Bright kid. But angry. If it _is_ him…looks like Starfleet’s been the reason for a lot of this kid’s problems.”

-

Spock returned to the planet a day later with a plan in mind. All he required was for Alesia to contact him when she was available.

“ _Hey. You there?”_

“Yes. I have returned. Are you well?” Spock asked, ignoring the soft chuckle from Bria as she read over her tricorder nearby.

“ _I’m good. What about you? You were on your ship for days.”_

“I was required aboard for a number of tasks and various debriefings in regards to the surface trips. Has Jimmy proven unaffected by the exposure to the air as your doctor predicted?”

“ _Yeah, he’s okay. Everyone was really scared but he was super cool about the whole thing. I hate it when he does that. He coulda died and he was all-,”_ she sighs in frustration.

“I am not sure I understand. You wish for him to have been frightened when it would have caused him distress in the face of potential death?” Spock’s question received an incredulous look from Bria and an aborted attempt at speaking from Alesia.

“I think,” Bria called over, at a volume high enough for both Spock and Alesia to hear her clearly. “What she means is she would like it if he showed a little more emotional investment in his own wellbeing. Am I right, Alesia?”

“ _Hi Bri.”_

“Hello Leesy.”

“ _And yeah. He’s so ‘Nyeeh’ about keeping us safe and happy but if its him its like-…nothing,”_ she complained. “ _Mom’s kinda like that too but nowhere near as bad as him.”_

“That sounds…frustrating,” Spock sounds unsure of his own reply, prompting another look from Bri, one of approval this time.

“ _Right? Ugh…I want him to talk to you. Like, actually talk and not just yell at you,”_ the frustration in her tone continues, this time more restrained. Not so much frustrated at others’ actions but at her own inability to manipulate things in her favour.

“There is always the option of alerting him to my possession of the communication unit-“

“ _Are you kidding? He’d smash my comm and I’d never be allowed outside again. Then he’d probably go and fight you just ‘cause.”_

“That would be a hindrance to our intended goal,” Spock stated, gaze drawn over to the forest. In the daylight it was well lit enough for him to see the Dell shifting through the tree-line even from the basecamp. “I suppose the only way to communicate with him is through direct contact. Does he intend on patrolling today?”

“ _He said he is after lunch. I’ll call you when he leaves…what are you gonna do?”_

“I will approach him and attempt to convey my peaceful intent.”

“…. _Good luck with that. Don’t get stabbed. I like talking to you.”_

-

Crossing paths with Jimmy was more difficult than anticipated.

Or the man was intentionally avoiding the section of the forest closest to the Starfleet base camp. The thought occurred to Spock a little over two hours into his wait inside the boundaries of the forest, sitting cross-legged in the centre of a clearing, as much an invitation to approach as he could possibly advertise. A smart man would be wary of such an invitation, seeing it as obvious bait and, apparently, he was that smart.

The tricorder in Spock’s hands registered life signs of a number of animals, eventually registering one humanoid approaching, circling the clearing no less than eight times entirely undetected by Spock with his hearing or vision before finally making their way closer. The frame and the clothing gave Spock reasonable cause to assume this was indeed Jimmy, making his way to just outside the edge of the clearing, knife in hand and focus shifting to the source of every sound nearby.

“Why are you sitting there?”

If the voice profiles were not exactly the same, Spock would almost say the person he heard speaking to Alesia and this man were two entirely different beings; entirely unlike the almost gentle and familial tone he adopted around Alesia, his words were sharp and underlined in venom, with a degree of bemusement at Spock’s current position,. He understood why. No trap was set as far as he knew. No agents lying in wait to strike, no explosives or ropes or traps to spring once he approached. But his paranoia seemed to dictate there had to _be_ one.

“I was waiting for you. I wished to speak with you.”

“I’m pretty sure I told you-“

“I will not force you to answer my questions. I see no reason to. It is within your right to refuse to answer.”

The response seemed to take the man aback, shocking him into silence. Another jerk of his head to the side as what Alesia identified as a shroomy darted out of the brush, pausing to nibble at something in the grass before it hopped away. The man did not relax.

“I asked why the fuck are you sitting there? This isn’t a park, you’re gonna get eaten,” he took a cautious step closer, free hand against a tree and body tensed and ready to bolt.

“I am sitting here to show you I mean no harm. As you can see, I am unarmed, my hands are occupied holding a device designed for scientific enquiry and I am not prepared to make any assault against your person. And I would appreciate no harmful actions made against myself in return.”

The confusion was almost palpable.

“What kind of play is this?”

“I am unsure of what you mean-“

“Uh-uh. This is some kinda good cop bullshit that I ain’t falling for. Just ‘cause I couldn’t find the bad cop doesn’t mean there isn’t one,” his words were growing more and more agitated but he refused to close the 30 foot gap between them. But he also wasn’t moving away just yet.

“There are no ‘cops’ here. Just myself. I only wish to ask you questions and to offer assistance. If you wish for it.”

“…Fine, I’ll bite. You get three questions before I walk away.”

“Thank you,” Spock went through his internal list of questions, attempting to narrow them down into three, eliminating the ones that would invoke Jimmy’s wrath. Jimmy.

“May I ask your name?”

“That’s one. And sure, you can ask.”

Spock’s brows furrowed and he shifted on the spot, freezing when Jimmy took a step back.

“I am almost certain you understood the meaning behind the question as being for you to provide your name if you wished to provide it.”

“What can I say, I’m a petty bitch and you seem like the kinda person that lives on technicalities. You’ve got two left.” The knife in his hand wasn’t being held in the aggressive fashion it had been moments ago, instead resting in his relaxed grip by his thigh.

“Alright. What is your name?”

“…Call me T. That’s two.”

While not exactly what Spock was hoping for in this interaction, he at least had a way of referring to Jimmy in his presence that was not vague or potentially offensive. Or would give away his prior knowledge, of the man’s name amongst other things, from Alesia. He likely wouldn’t appreciate attempts at prying into his residence’s location, his history or the people he seemed so adamant on protecting. It seemed the majority of his efforts were expended protecting his people.

“While investigating the forest on our first day here, my crew and I saw what appeared to be a child within the forest,” the statement made T tense, hand gripping the handle of his knife tightly, whether to attack or maintain his hold as he ran not quite apparent yet. “I can only assume they are an individual under your care, potentially one of many.”

“…I’m not answering that.”

“I have yet to ask a question,” Spock reminded. The tension increased, T’s metaphorical hackles rising at the perceived threat to his charges.

“…Ask. It.”

“Are they alright?”

T’s form shifted. While he hadn’t moved, it seemed the tone of Spock’s question along with the words themselves were enough to reduce his desire to eliminate Spock, at least in the immediate future, his shoulder releasing and his head tilting ever so slightly to the side as he regarded Spock.

“They’re fine. That’s three. Now get the hell out of here before something eats you, moron.”

Before Spock could respond, T turned and ran through the forest, vanishing from sight.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jimmy is one angry boi.

**_ Chapter Six _ **

“ _I guess you didn’t get stabbed, huh?”_

“I did not. How did you come to this conclusion?” Spock asked, Bria seated beside him as she took readings from their various samples and he completed his standard log entries and paperwork.

“ _’Cause Jimmy wasn’t covered in blood. And he looks all…grumbly,”_ Alesia’s assessment of her leader’s state, while reasonable in regards to the lack of Spock’s blood on his clothing, threw Spock when it came to his emotional state.

“Could you define ‘grumbly’?”

“ _He’s quiet like he gets when he thinks too hard on stuff. He’s been in the workshop since he got back and there’s lots of loud noises coming from there. Its only loud when he’s grumbly,”_ she explained. “ _Did you guys talk, or did he_ try _to stab you and he’s all grumpy because he missed?”_

“We spoke. Albeit briefly. He allowed me to ask some questions, under restrictions which limited the information I could obtain. He intentionally interpreted one of my questions incorrectly to eliminate one of three he had allotted, and provided that he is a ‘petty bitch’ as his reasoning. Is this consistent in his behaviour?”

The question prompted both a laugh from Alesia and a snicker from Bria at Spock’s use of the phrase ‘petty bitch’ but she was quick to stop, handing Spock the results of her latest readings for him to peruse as they conversed with a smile on her face.

“ _He’s like that. He’s really nice though, I promise. Just only when he likes you. But sometimes he picks on you when he likes you too. But in a nice way, not a mean way,”_ she amended. Bria seemed to understand this, with a sage nod of her head. Spock did not understand and made a note to speak with Doctor J’un later.

“I am hopeful in my progress made with him. While he has still shown degrees of mistrust, he appears to not be entirely hostile towards me at this time. Alesia, please let me know when he leaves for his patrol next,” Spock heard the affirmative over the comm unit before Alesia had to leave to ‘help with chores’.

“While I’m glad we have our little insider to help us with our venture,” Bria conceded, tapping at her PADD to sign off on her reports and send them to the _Enterprise_ before she turned to face Spock directly. “I’m worried what’ll happen if he finds out that you not only made contact with one of his people without his knowledge but you’re using that contact and knowledge of his schedule to manipulate him.”

“I have no intention of manipulating him.”

“So deceiving him into thinking he’s got all the cards here when he’s playing with a rigged deck isn’t manipulation?” Bri’s question, while not strictly harsh or offended was coloured with disapproval, one he chose not to take offense towards. It was understandable a woman of her manner would not approve of lies, even ones of omission.

“My intention is to assist him and his people, not to take advantage of them for my own ends.”

“Careful, Commander. You know what they say the road to hell is paved with.”

-

Another two days passed and one return trip to the _Enterprise_ for Spock and T’s schedules to align, leading to Spock, sitting once more in the centre of the clearing, back against a tree and tricorder in hand as T approached, still circling his habitual eight times around the clearing before appearing across the way from Spock. He was still tensed but not as visibly hostile as previous encounters.

“Still alive?”

“It appears to be the case.”

Spock’s comment is met with a huff of what could have been amusement from T. The man doesn’t sit down but he does lean against a tree, hip cocked and observing Spock with an air of faux casualness that was undermined by the placement of his feet and the grip on his knife.

“You’re stubborn. I’ll give you that. More questions I’m guessing?”

“I always have questions. It is, according to my peers, both a ‘blessing and a curse’,” Spock’s tricorder alerted him to the movement of few dell nearby but thankfully no other readings. It seemed T insisted on patrolling alone when there was no pressing danger.

“I’ll give you another three.”

“Perhaps, if I might offer an alternative arrangement. If you are amenable, of course.”

The request didn’t agitate T. He tilted his head curiously and shifted so he was leaning back against the tree, one foot braced against the truck and arms crossed in front of him.

“What sort of arrangement?”

“An answer from myself in exchange for an answer from you,” Spock proposed.

“…Sure. First question. What took so long for you ‘Fleet dicks to get here?” T asked, a bitter undercurrent to his words.

“The satellite barrier erected by the former governor, Kodos the Executioner,” a brief flinch at the name, then stillness, “provided both communication interference as well as offensive capabilities, making it impossible to pass the barrier via ship or utilise transporter technology. A satellite was recently damaged by space debris, making entry possible via a small vessel.” The answer didn’t appear to make T any more or less enthused about their presence on the planet.

“And he didn’t just shut them off to let you in?”

“I believe it is my turn to ask a question,” Spock reminded, convinced for a brief moment that T would just turn around and walk away. But he remained.

“Ask away.”

“What do you eat here?” Once again, the question didn’t seem to be the one T expected, unsettling him but not upsetting him.

“We have a greenhouse. And some uninfected livestock we breed. Why didn’t you just _tell_ Kodos to shut the satellites down?”

“He chose to disobey the laws of the federation when he committed genocide rather than wait for assistance. He committed a grave offense. He understood this and chose to no longer align himself with the federation, therefore did not subject himself to our orders. What sort of crops do you cultivate?”

“Vegetables; carrots, pumpkins, potatoes, some tomatoes,” his words were rushed and he seemed unable to help himself when he took a step closer. “So, what, he locks off the planet and you don’t just bust in? The weapons on a star ship should’ve made some dinky fucking satellites into scrap metal.”

“The admiralty and its advisers calculated the potential risk of destroying the satellites, finding that both the loss of life of Federation crew during the task and surviving inhabitants on the surface that would have been killed by falling debris far outweighed the reward of rescuing what survivors remained. Along with the epidemic plaguing Tarsus IV and the death of 90% of the _USS Exeter_ crew from contamination, the rescue of the inhabitants of the planet was considered…a pyrrhic attempt at heroism and was ultimately denied…However wrong it felt to the federation as a majority.”

“At least _some_ of them would’ve been saved. And the ones that weren’t wouldn’t’ve lived on this piece of shit planet for _nearly ten years_ , slowly dying of starvation or suffocation or _worse_ -“

“And that was wrong. Leaving a population to its own slow and agonising death was as much an unwanted choice as pushing rescue parties into unsafe conditions. It was the choice they made. But please, do not misinterpret my expression of their reasoning as my being sympathetic to their choice. As I am not.”

T was quiet. The blade in his hand was shaking.

“Ask another one.”

“You are distressed. Perhaps-“

“ _Ask another question.”_

“…Do you enjoy chess?”

-

A day later, Spock sat in front of a three dimensional chess set in his quarters, its pieces in their starting positions with the exception of one white pawn, and one black knight.

T had left after short curt nod in the affirmative, and a declaration that he was going to finish his patrol and Spock should ‘stop sitting in the middle of the forest for fuck’s sake. Just stand by the edge and if I feel like talking, you’ll see me’.

His PADD’s chirping alert diverted his focus, Doctor J’un’s name displayed in the screen. An image was attached, of Doctor J’un by the forest’s edge (maintaining a 40 foot distance as Spock had requested of her if the need to approach every arose), facing the camera, with Alesia’s hazmat suit figure in the background, waving at the lens.

‘ _She decided to visit. No gift this time but she still wanted to say hello._

_-Doctor Bria J’un’_

Spock typed a quick reply, asking that she extend his greetings to Alesia if she was still present and suggest she take care as Jimmy was taking to patrolling the edge of the forest more often due to his interactions with Spock and may not react favourably to a second intruder to what he perceived as his territory.

He received an affirmative in reply and was left to consider his game.

Every conversation with the man piqued his interest. He was obviously capable and intelligent. Maintaining a relatively decent quality of life for the residents under his care at such a young age was not an easy task, even without the unique hardships provided by Tarsus IV’s current state. But it was obvious it had taken a toll on his mental health; constant heightened levels of adrenaline from persistent paranoia and a near manic need to provide both security and supplies to his people at the risk of his own health showed a desperate need to save people. Likely because of losses early in his time on the planet, incorrectly perceived as being his own fault.

Spock supposed another show of faith was required for T to place any more trust in him. To let him know they meant no harm and T would not experience any more losses at Star Fleet’s hands.

He moved his pawn in the path of the knight before he left his quarters to meet with Captain Pike.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a warning: The following chapters will be super charged and emotional with threats of suicide I'll detail in the story tags, I apologise for not providing these tags earlier but this was a recent addition to the plot. I hope any remaining readers enjoy the horrible suffering I'm inflicting on these poor characters. 
> 
> <33

**_ Chapter Seven _ **

T and Spock traded questions back and forth for a number of days, the pieces in their chess game moving one conversation at a time; a slow moving back and forth that was always the end note of their meetings. At first the questions were excuses for T to fire insults at Spock, but it soon ended the longer Spock went without replying to them as insults but as perfectly reasonable criticisms. Then the questions varied from insights into their findings on the surface to what Spock thought of the weather. But the questions always left information about the residences of his bunker vague, whether it be in regards to how many there were or even their names.

“No, I didn’t name the Shroomies. Al-…The kid you saw, they named them. Heard me calling them mushrooms and a two year old takes what they want from the words they hear,” T answered, looking far more relaxed than he normally did in their encounters. For the first time, when he had arrived at the edge of the forest, he took a seat on a boulder, leaning with his back against a tree in a similar fashion Spock had; an obvious attempt to remove a potential avenue of attack but progress was progress.

“I would not know. I do not interact with children that young on a regular enough basis to make a comparative study,” T released huff of amusement at the admission that Spock did not feel the need to comment on. There was this brief silence, poignant in a way previous silences hadn’t been before. It was almost…comfortable.

“Why did you try so hard to meet with me?”

“I have told you this before. I wished to ask you questions and to offer my assistance on behalf of Star Fleet. You have wasted a question, would you like to rethink your choice?”

“That can’t be it; you sat in a forest, wasted time and resources just to ask me about what _plants_ we grow _,_ if I like _chess_ -“

“I utilised resources at my disposal in order to pursue a course of action I believed would assist me in showing that you could trust me not to eliminate you,” Spock cut T off, but it didn’t result in the usual tension in his shoulders or twitch of his hand it normally did. Instead, T sat and listened. “While they are not my primary focus, the information I asked of you was still of import to myself and my crew. Both as learning tools and as a baseline for how much care you and your charges may need if you were to allow us to provide assistance. At this time, I believe, your answer in regards to your lacking quality of sleep aside, you and your people are healthy and safe. So the only assistance I could provide would be to remove you all from the planet. Which I assume is not on the proverbial table. Am I correct?”

“…I wanna change my question.”

“Feel free to.”

There was a change in the air, their dynamic. Spock had put the majority of his cards on the table, his communication with Alesia still tucked in his sleeve, but now T had heard the motivations behind his actions finally spoken aloud. And from the way he worried at the handle of the knife in his hand, he wasn’t sure what to do with them.

“You told me you didn’t agree with Starfleet’s decision. To abandon Tarsus. That you’re not with Kodos.”

 “That is correct.”

“…If I gave you all the information I have on Kodos, would you kill him?”

“What information do you have on his whereabouts-“

“Uh uh. Answer. It’s a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question. Would you kill Kodos if I gave you the necessary-“

“Without immediate danger, it is against Starfleet regulations to execute an individual without fair trial, no matter how pressing the evidence against them may be-“

“ _Pressing eviden-_ HE KILLED 4000 PEOPLE! I _WATCHED_ HIM PULL THE TRIGGER!”

T had risen to his feet, leaning against that invisible barrier he’d placed between himself and Spock when they chose this meeting place but Spock could feel it creaking under the pressure of T’s animalistic ferocity. It almost distracted him from the information T had provided.

“You witnessed the event?”

“Its not your turn yet, answer the question.”

“If there were an eyewitness testimony provided, the probability of a guilty conviction against Kodos would increase to 84.6-“

“I didn’t ask if he would be convicted. My question,” T spat, taking one step, then another, towards Spock until they were barely five feet apart, until Spock could make out the pale shade to his eyes through the scratched glass of his mask and the vicious expression on his face, “was that if I gave you the information I have, would you and your crew storm into his fortress and blow that fucker to hell?”

“…I am sorry, T. I cannot.”

Spock was almost certain when T raised his knife that it would have ended up buried in his neck, or he would have at least made an attempt to. So it was a surprise when it was instead imbedded into the trunk of a nearby tree. It didn’t remain there long as the man stormed away, ripping it out of the thick bark on his way.

-

While Alesia’s visits were few and far between, her presence later that afternoon was met with confusion, followed by restrained alarm when she didn’t remain within the boundaries of the forest as she normally did. Instead, she stormed towards the camp, fists clenched at her sides as Spock and Bria walked out to meet her, the first officer take aback when a small booted foot kicked him in the shin. While it wasn’t overly painful it was enough to startle him and the security officers surrounding them. A gesture from Spock had them lowering their phasers immediately after.

“What did you say to him? Whatever you said, take it back! Say you’re sorry.”

“Alesia-“ Bria held out a placating hand but the young girl continued in her verbal tirade.

“You said something really mean to him, you have to say sorry.”

“Commander, what is she talking about?”

“Jimmy and I spoke earlier. The conversation became heated when he asked if I would execute Kodos if I had the necessary information to locate him. I told him I would not as it would violate Starfleet and federation regulations,” Spock’s words were muted, keeping the conversation between the three of them as the other crew members resumed their tasks, casting concerned glances at the trio.

“We _know_ where he is,” Alesia cried out indignantly with her hands on her hips.

“Wait,” Bria knelt down in front of Alesia, a hand on her shoulder. “Your people know where Kodos is?”

“Yeah. He lives in his bunker by the old city. He never left. Jimmy’s always wanted to go after him but there’s loads of guards and guns and lasers and stuff. He’s getting ready to go there now and…and-“ Alesia’s voice wavered and her anger shattered into muted tears.

“Sweetheart,” Bria pulled the young girl into her arms, rubbing a gloved hand up and down her back.

“He’s gonna try to go after him but-but last time he got hurt really bad and I- I don’t want Jimmy to go. He might not come back,” the young girl looked up at Spock, her deep brown eyes visible from the proximity along with her brown skin and flecks of curly hair peeking out from behind the mask. “You gotta say sorry. Make him not go. You promised we’d go with you, you _promised_.”

Spock considered his limited options; it was unlikely Jimmy would pass by the Starfleet base camp, either accidental or of his own volition, let alone speak with Spock again before he made his suicidal attempt to end Kodos’ life. But there were instincts he possessed that would force him from his current path, redirecting that anger towards something less likely to kill him.

“Alesia. Is there a way for you to contact Jimmy when he is on his patrols?” Alesia sniffled, nodding her head as she pulled away from Bria and dug around in her pockets.

“My comm can link to his.”

“I am very sorry, but if you want him to come back, I will need to tell him you are here. He will be angry, but he will be more angry with us than with you for the moment,” Spock watched the young girl stiffen before nodding sharply, rotating a dial on her comm unit before handing it over. Spock pressed down the receiver.

“Jimmy.”

“… _How the fuck are you on this channel?”_

The snarled response through the tinny comm unit seemed to startle Alesia, the girl holding onto Bria’s arm for support.

“I have Alesia here with me. She is unharmed. But she wishes for you to cease your current course of action.”

“ _Lees-…Is she there? Can she hear me?”_ the anger immediately drained out of his voice. He sounded almost…panicked.

“Jimmy I- I didn’t know what else to do. You wouldn’t listen mommy or Ollie, I don’t want you to die like Hilly or Nadia or-or Daddy did,” her words slowly became incomprehensible as the sobs increased in volume and strength, wracking her small frame. The tears unsettled Spock for more reasons than just his Vulcan upbringing. There were a few muted thumps through the comm before Jimmy’s voice returned.

“ _I swear to god, if you touch her-“_

“I have no intention of harming Alesia, nor will I ever intentionally harm her. We have been communicating for a number of weeks using her communication device. She wished only to understand our purpose here and we only wished to see her safe and cared for. Which she has been, under your watch,” the thumps repeated, followed by a bitten off curse.

“ _You’ve been talking to them this whole time, Alesia?”_

“I was careful, I promise. I never said where we lived or let them follow me. But they never tried to. They just wanted to ask about the plants and the animals and if we were all okay. They were never mean-“

“ _Alesia, that’s what they do. They make you trust them, then they-…Stay where you are sweetheart,”_ the man’s tone lost the edge of panic, cooling into an even, sharp tone that spoke of violence and bloodshed. “ _I’m coming to take you home.”_


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING FOR THREATS OF SUICIDE THIS CHAPTER I'm such a terrible person and I hope you all enjoy the horrible things I offer in this story.

**_ Chapter Eight _ **

It didn’t take long for Spock’s tricorder to register Jimmy’s vital signs, heart rate erratic and completely disregarding his previous habitual prowling around the perimeter before his approach. He strode forward, blade in hand and aimed at Spock’s chest before he could open his mouth to speak.

“NO! JIMMY DON’T!”

Alesia’s voice gave him pause as the young girl darted out from Bria’s side, placing herself between Spock and Jimmy with her arms outstretched, as if her four feet of height would be enough to stop the blade from puncturing Spock’s suit if Jimmy wished it. The man’s grip forced a creak out of the wrappings around his handle but his arm dropped ever so slightly while the clicks and whirrs of the security officers phasers hummed threateningly in the air as Spock raised his hands.

“Men, stand down. You are not to fire.” The men shared grim expressions, keeping firm holds on their phasers as they lowered them, ready to take aim at the drop of a hat.

“Leesy. I don’t know what they said to you-“

“NO. I know Mister Spock made you mad. I know you wanna kill Kodos but Mister Spock’s been really nice. They’re _not with him_. They just wanna help us go somewhere better than here. Please listen-“

“Alesia. Stop.” The commanding tone froze her in her tracks. “Move away.”

“No.”

“Alesia-“

“NO!”

“Goddamnit, Alesia! Get away from him!”

“Please, we can explain-“ Bria held out a hand but ripped it back at the sharp glare from Jimmy.

“Stay out of this,” he snapped, taking a step towards the doctor. The phasers raised once more, this time ignoring Spock’s sharp order to lower them.

“Don’t yell at Bri!”

“I knew you fucks were low, manipulating a little kid-“

“There was no manipulation on our part,” Spock insisted, his even tone doing little to assuage the tension in the air. “We never demanded information she did not volunteer herself, we never used our connection with her to gain access to your residence-“

“You told a scared little girl you were gonna get her off of this hellscape, of _course she was going to tell you everything you wanted!”_ Jimmy took a step towards Spock, freezing in place when Alesia reached for her mask fastenings. “Leesy. What are you doing?”

“If you hurt Mister Spock or Bri, o-or any of them, I’ll take my mask off. Let him say he’s sorry for making you mad. And you say sorry for trying to kill him when he didn’t deserve it.”

“Alesia, that is neither safe nor wise-“ Spock felt a jolt of alarm, reaching forward to gently remove her hands but the girl jerked away, turning that steady thrum of tension into near panic, a choked sound of frantic protest escaping Jimmy's throat. 

“No! You’re all fighting and its so _stupid_! I’m _tired_. I’m _tired_ of living here, I’m _tired_ of going outside with all this stupid stuff on me, I’M TIRED OF BEING SCARED ALL THE TIME! Say you’re sorry.”

Her fingertips dug in underneath the fastenings, ready to release them.

“No-no-no Leesy- please sweetheart, please don’t-“

“I am sorry.”

Jimmy turned towards Spock, seeing the man in a half-bow with arms clasped behind him.

“I have deceived you, almost caused you and your people irreparable harm and _have_ caused severe emotional distress through my actions. I apologise,” Spock remained in this half bow, the knife in Jimmy’s hand dropping to the ground beside him.

“I’m sorry- okay. I’m sorry. Please just-…Leesy please don’t.” His voice wavered, hands reaching out to her as he dropped to his knees mere feet away. Alesia sniffled, hands shaking against the edges of her mask before she lowered them, throwing herself into Jimmy’s arms. Their shared words were muffled through their suits and barely comprehensible beneath the sobs and tremors. The steady whirrs and hums of the phasers surrounding them faded to silence, lowered in the grasp of their uncertain handlers.

“Due to the circumstances, I will overlook your disregard for my _direct order_. Your concern for our safety was appreciated. You are dismissed. Please return to the camp,” Spock’s tone was cold, sending the security officers away from the scene in a hurry to avoid being formally reprimanded while Spock and Bria stood by, affording Jimmy and Alesia some space to collect themselves. Once again, Spock found himself having difficulty resolving these different sides of Jimmy. He had been working beside humans for the better part of his adult life, he often encountered emotions from them; happiness, sadness, anger. But this man took those emotions and pushed them to the very edges of the spectrum and it was…confronting.

“We’re gonna go home, okay?” Jimmy’s voice was rough and quiet, pulling back just enough to look Alesia in the eyes, his hands gently pressed to the sides of her face, feeling her jerky nods as well as seeing them. “We’ll…we need to talk about today. What I did and…sweetie you know you can talk to me. When you’re feeling sad or scared or…You can tell me those things, I promise I won’t tell your mom if you don’t want me to or be- be _disappointed_. Its okay to feel those things. Okay?” another jerky nod beneath his hands as the young girl sniffled and looked towards Bria and Spock. Jimmy seemed to almost forget they were there, shifting uncomfortably on the ground.

“I am sorry things went like this,” Bria stepped forward quietly, kneeling down a few feet away from the pair. Jimmy didn’t look at her directly but tilted his head in her direction, listening warily. “Please understand. We never intended on going behind your back. Alesia was…she seemed to enjoy talking to us. And we are very fond of her as well. I know you think we’re an evil organisation with some ulterior motives but I promise, we only want to help you and yours.”

Jimmy remained quiet.

“Jimmy-“ Spock’s voice was met with a sharp from behind glass. “T. I understand your unwillingness to place your trust in us. In myself. I will do what I can, if asked, to provide recompense for these offences so there may be a possibility of healing at least a part of the harm brought upon you by both the planet and Starfleet as a whole. For the time being, please, know that we will leave you and your people be unless otherwise requested. All I ask is that you allow me to keep this-“ he holds up the communicator gifted to him by Alesia, which Jimmy regards with restrained anger. “So that you may have a method of contacting us. Only if you wish.”

Alesia tugged at Jimmy’s sleeve gently, murmuring something to him. He seemed to relax a little, not looking directly at Spock, but gave a short nod at the request.

“Fine. Keep it. But I don’t wanna hear you on it ‘less I talk first. Understood?”

“Understood.”

-

Spock watched Alesia and Jimmy disappear through the trees, his hand holding hers as they were shrouded in the shadow of the canopy, a hint of bitter failure teasing at the edges of his mind before he willed it down and under control.

“Well that was a shit show. Commander,” Bria added hastily. Her candor wasn’t unwarranted.

“It was indeed a tense situation. One that could have been avoided had I heeded your advice. It seems my education in regards to dealing with emotional irrationality will need to be furthered,” he mused, drawing out his PADD, ready to start his report back to Pike. It would likely result in an immediate call back to the _Enterprise_ to decide how to proceed with this rocky diplomatic issue.

“To be fair, emotional irrationality is hard to deal with even amongst humans. Especially when it comes to trauma as severe as theirs. My concern is, do you think he’s right? About Kodos being on the planet?”

Spock was almost embarrassed to recall that information. Through the chaos of Jimmy appearing and Alesia’s reactions, the underlying issue of Kodos the Executioner had escaped him.

“There were no signs that he had left the planet before the satellite barrier was placed and T seems to be certain he resides here. This will need to be brought to the captain’s attention. I will alert him and request we return to the Enterprise so we may be debriefed and new surface protocols coordinated.” Spock signed off on his request, sending it to Pike and awaiting new orders, all the while thinking on the situation in front of them. All they had expected to find was toxic air and an empty planet. Instead they found traumatised survivors and potentially a genocidal dictator.

Hopefully when the _Enterprise_ eventually departs, neither will remain on the planet.

\---

Alesia sketches, by [Oakyboo](https://oakyboo.tumblr.com/) (myself)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorryyyyy. Feel free to comment below or come scream at me on tumblr on my fandom blog Agentoaky, or my art blog oakyboo. Hope you like the picture of the adorable Alesia, feel free to also request art on my art blog, I'm usually taking requests between chapters.


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